Love Story: John F Kennedy Jr & Carolyn Bessette Review
First there was Horror Story, then we had Crime Story, Sport Story, and now it’s time for Love Story, the newest instalment in the American Story franchise from the mind of uber-TV producer Ryan Murphy.
Telling the story of John, aka JFK Jr (Paul Kelly) and his turbulent, tragic and short-lived marriage to Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy (Sarah Pidgeon), the 26-year-old Calvin Klein assistant who finds herself catapulted into the glare of the world’s tabloid media as she begins a relationship with one of America’s most eligible bachelors, the son of a former president. With an additional cast of Naomi Watts, Grace Gummer and Constance Zimmer, this 9-episode series, written by Connor Hines, will have you begging for the next episode.
Whilst the Kennedy family themselves have come out and said the series is profiting off the devastating loss, you can’t help but be pulled into the story of love, and ultimately the downfall that follows. Yes, it’s a slow burn, but you’ll want to savour every last second. Pidgeon and Kelly don’t just shine as JFK Jr and Carolyn, they light up the atmosphere with their palpable chemistry, which you’ll yearn for whenever they’re both off screen. While both actors have relatively small works on the silver screen, you wouldn’t be able to tell, as they come across as mature and affable presences.
Watts portrays the widowed and former First Lady Jackie Kennedy, who, after already playing Diana, Princess of Wales, is now, coincidentally, onto her second Pablo Larrain subject, and whilst she’s a stellar actress, you just can’t help but feel removed from the story every time she pops up. Her portrayal is stilted, but what’s less clear is if this is intentional on her part or just not been given enough to do. Her portrayal of a mother wanting what’s best for her son whilst still coming to terms with the tragedy of November ’63 should have been a goldmine for the King Kong star to play, but unfortunately, it’s anything but.
But maybe that’s the point. This isn’t a Jackie Onassis series, it’s a love letter to John and Caroline and the struggles of relationships, family dramas and the constant obsession of the public, which still feels incredibly relevant today. At the heart of it all, it’s a story of falling in love and not letting anyone get in the way of that. Even if it does somehow fail the supporting characters, especially that of Grace Gummer’s Caroline Kennedy, whose own grief somewhat feels pushed aside.
This is a story that will not only make you sore to the highs of their triumph of Carolyn and John, but also make you sob in the heartbreak of their lows, which will make you come to wonder just what could have been. The addition of a 90’s soundtrack, effortlessly put together by Bryce Dessner, really does make you feel like you’re in the room with these characters. The 90’s itself feels almost like a character too. It’s never used as a gimmick or for tricks to ploys, it’s the world Carolyn and John live in, and we get to live vicariously through them.
Love Story is a touching and heartwarming series that, despite the feeling of whether the story was really rich enough for the series treatment, you’lls till enjoy all it has to offer. Once you’re in the world of Carolyn and John, it’s going to hurt so much to leave it, and that is all down to Pidgeon and Kelly and their sparkling chemistry. Once they have your heart rooting for them, they’ll have no trouble ripping it out.
★★★★ 1/2
On Disney+ from February 13th / Sarah Pidgeon, Paul Anthony Kelly, Naomi Watts, Grace Gummer, Alessandro Nivola / Dir: Connor Hines / Disney+, Hulu
Discover more from
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
About the Author
